books

Where the Fruit Falls

UWA Publishing, October 2020

Winner of the 2020 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript

Spanning four generations, with a focus on the 1960s and 70s, an era of rapid social change and burgeoning Aboriginal rights, Where the Fruit Falls is a re-imagining of the epic Australian novel.

Brigid Devlin, a young Aboriginal woman, and her twin daughters navigate a troubled nation of First Peoples, settlers and refugees – all determined to shape a future on stolen land. Leaving the sanctuary of her family’s apple orchard, Brigid sets off with no destination and a willy wagtail for company. As she moves through an everchanging landscape, Brigid unravels family secrets to recover what she’d lost – by facing the past, she finally accepts herself. Her twin daughters continue her journey with their own search for self-acceptance, truth and justice.

This evocative family saga celebrates the strength and resilience of First Nations women, while touching on deeply traumatic aspects of Australian history. Threads of magic realism shimmer throughout the story, offering a deeper understanding of reality and challenging the reader to imagine a kinder, more just, more human world. Sally Morgan, Author of My Place.

In poetic and evocative storytelling, this writing celebrates the agency of Indigenous women to traverse ever-present landscapes of colonisation and intergenerational trauma. Country has an omniscient presence in their story lines, guiding the women across vivid desert and coastal landscapes. Where the Fruit Falls recognises both the open wounds of living histories of colonisation and the healing power of belonging to Country. 2020 Dorothy Hewett Award judges.

Heroes, Rebels and Innovators: Inspiring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from history

Illustrated by Jaelyn Biumaiwai

Hachette July 2021

Seven inspiring stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from history. Each colourful spread in this illustrated book tells a compelling story.

Patyegarang, a Darug woman who taught an officer of the First Fleet.
Bungaree, a Darug man who circumnavigated the continent with Matthew Flinders.
Tarenorerer, legendary resistance fighter of the Tommeginne people.
Wiradjuri men Yarri and Jacky Jacky rescued dozens of settlers from freezing flood waters.
Torres Strait Islander Mohara Wacando-Lifu was awarded a medal for bravery.
Ngarrindjeri inventor and author David Unaipon’s image features on the $50 note.
Fanny Balbuk Yooreel, a Whadjuk woman, tried to teach settlers how to care for the environment.